When I spoke to Cheo Hodari Coker about this new season, he acknowledged the criticism of Season 1 and said that, even though it hurt, he listened to it. How do you feel about the criticism that the first season got, and were you happy to see that being addressed rather than ignored?

MISSICK: I think that it’s always great to strive to be better, and to take a step up and to take a step back and examine what you do. A lot of times, with any artist, whether it’s the writer, or an actor, or a producer, or whatever, you’re doing the work in a vacuum and in a space where everyone around you is rooting for you. It’s not until you present your art to the world that people have opinions. There are some people who ignore those opinions, and then there are some people who look at the criticism and take it constructively. I think it’s great that Cheo is not so precious that he can’t take a step back and examine. But I don’t read critiques, for the reason that I can’t create my art and worry about what other people think. I can leave that to Cheo. So, I’m gonna be honest and say that, other than knowing that people weren’t happy with the way that the season fared after Episode 7, I couldn’t tell you what the specific criticism was, to know, one way or the other, if I agreed with it or not. That’s what Cheo is there for. I do know that one of the main issues was the killing off of Mahershala Ali’s character. People felt like that happened too early. I think that, this season, with Mustafa Shakir as Bushmaster, you definitely get to see the evolution and the full story of this one villain, and he’s so strong. That’s exciting to see.

It feels like Misty is a little bit down on herself, at the beginning of this season. She has to get her groove back a little bit, and it’s fun to see her build herself back up. What did you most enjoy about that journey, this season, and getting her groove back?

MISSICK: As an actor, I look forward to those moments where I get to explore the darker parts of humanity and what it’s like to feel like your entire existence is based on your physical capabilities, as well as your mental dexterity. In Season 1, Misty questioned whether or not she really knew what she was doing because of all the things that happened, but she always had her physical abilities. She could run, she could tackle a suspect, she could beat somebody, she could pull her gun and shoot, and do all of those things. And now, she has no arm. What is that like, for the men and women who live with disabilities, every day? Whether it’s something that happens from a medical standpoint, or whether it’s a soldier coming back from war that has to figure life out when they are no longer their full self, what makes a person whole? As an actor, it’s just amazing to be able to explore that. To then see her fight off her own self doubt and say, “All right, I’m ready to go back to work,” to fight the doubt of the people that she is working with, who don’t trust that she can do her job, and to get to the place where she gets this prosthetic arm and you get to see her side by side with Luke, who’s a superhero, it’s a great journey for her to take, and for me, as an actor, to play.